The development of French painting and applied arts has contributed significantly to the world culture. The first French paintings dating back to prehistoric times were found in the region of Dordogne.  Art flourished already in the times of Charles the Great as can be observed by looking at various books and hand-made illustrations of this period. The styles changed and so did the most famous painters. Poussin and Lorrain are representatives of the 17th-century  French Classicism. Soon, Classicism was replaced by Baroque, which in turn gave way to the Rococo. The most famous painters of this era are Fragonard, Watteau and Boucher. At the end of the Century, Louis David introduced the Neo-Classical school, only to be followed by Delclacroix and Gericault, who initiated the Romantic period. Later, the more realistic Barbizon school appeared. Its followers Daumier and Courbet  were most of all interested in the nature and the lanscape. Finally, Impressionism - a true milestone in the development of art - appeared in France at the turn of the 20th Century.  The most inflluential Impressionist was Claude Monet, however his contemporaries such as Paul Gaugin, Paul Cezanne and Toulouse-Lautrec belong among the major world artists as well. Only  Cubism, an avant-garde movement which emerged in the beginning of the 20th Century in France and was represented by such great names as Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris and Georges Braque, can be compared to Impressionism when it comes to their innovative and influential qualities.